Jerry Yang quits Yahoo

Co-founder leaves after 17 years

Yahoo co-founder Jerry Yang has left the company, 17 years after starting the internet superpower.

The 43-year old who formed Yahoo back in 1995 with David Filo while the pair were at Stanford University announced that he was severing all ties with the company on Tuesday.

He will leave both the US and Japanese boards of the previously dominant online giant.

The WSJ reports that Yang had been under pressure in recent years for his multiple roles at the company, which included co-founder, director, former CEO and a large shareholder, which he remains.

The report suggests he is considering his options with regards to selling his stock in the company.

Rewarding experience

In a letter to the Yahoo board chairman Roy Bostock, Yang said: "My time at Yahoo!, from its founding to the present, has encompassed some of the most exciting and rewarding experiences of my life.

"However, the time has come for me to pursue other interests outside of Yahoo! As I leave the company I co-founded nearly 17 years ago,

"I am enthusiastic about the appointment of Scott Thompson as Chief Executive Officer and his ability, along with the entire Yahoo! leadership team, to guide Yahoo! into an exciting and successful future."

Winds of change

Yang's departure represents a period of significant change at Yahoo following the acrimonious departure of former CEO Carol Bartz late last year.